CIA 'torture' methods included these 21 songs, artists

PLUS: See some really dang annoying songs they easily could have used, as well.

Published 3:32 pm, Thursday, April 24, 2014

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Playing "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilera was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA. The song was apparently part of a "bad Muslim" routine in which interrogators would use sexually-explicit songs and female interviewers to frustrate the sensibilities of devout Muslim prisoners. less

Playing "Dirrty" by Christina Aguilera was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA. The song was apparently part of a "bad Muslim" routine in which interrogators would use ... more

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The song "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

The song "The Real Slim Shady" by Eminem was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

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Playing "Zikrayati (My Memories)" by Mohamed el-Qasabgi was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Playing "Zikrayati (My Memories)" by Mohamed el-Qasabgi was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

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Playing the Meow Mix commercial jingle was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Playing the Meow Mix commercial jingle was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

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Playing "I Love You" by Barney the dinosaur was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Playing "I Love You" by Barney the dinosaur was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

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Playing "Babylon" by David Gray was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Playing "Babylon" by David Gray was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Photo: STUART RAMSON

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Songs from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack were apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Songs from the "Saturday Night Fever" soundtrack were apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

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Playing the song "Take Your Best Shot" by the band Dope was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Playing the song "Take Your Best Shot" by the band Dope was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

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Rock star Freddie Mercury

Rock star Freddie Mercury

Photo: Rob Verhorst, Redferns

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Playing "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Playing "The Beautiful People" by Marilyn Manson was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

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Playing "F--- Your God" by the band Deicide was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Playing "F--- Your God" by the band Deicide was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

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Songs from the Tupac Shakur album "All Eyez on Me" were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Songs from the Tupac Shakur album "All Eyez on Me" were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

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The song "Bodies" by the band Drowing Pool was apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

The song "Bodies" by the band Drowing Pool was apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Photo: Scott Legato, Getty Images

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Songs from "Sesame Street" were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Songs from "Sesame Street" were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Photo: Courtesy Everett Collection

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The song "Baby, One More Time" by Britney Spears was apparently used as a torture technique by the CIA.

The song "Baby, One More Time" by Britney Spears was apparently used as a torture technique by the CIA.

Photo: No Credit

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The song "Enter Sandman" by Metallica was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

The song "Enter Sandman" by Metallica was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Photo: 2013 Tim Mosenfelder

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The song "March of Pigs" by Nine Inch Nails was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

The song "March of Pigs" by Nine Inch Nails was apparently used as an interrogation technique by the CIA.

Photo: No Credit

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Songs by Princes were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Songs by Princes were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Photo: Peter Kramer, FRE

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Songs by the band Red Hot Chili Peppers were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Songs by the band Red Hot Chili Peppers were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Photo: 2014 Getty Images

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Songs by the band Aerosmith were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Songs by the band Aerosmith were apparently used by the CIA as part of interrogation techniques.

Photo: Paul Archuleta, Getty

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The following songs may not be used as CIA torture techniques, but they certainly could be.

These are the most annoying songs ever ...

The following songs may not be used as CIA torture techniques, but they certainly could be.

Disney's "It's A Small World" ride, which spawned what many believe to be the most annoying song ever, will turn 50 this year. Can you think of a song that is more irritating? Tell us in the comment section.

Disney's "It's A Small World" ride, which spawned what many believe to be the most annoying song ever, will turn 50 this year. Can you think of a song that is more irritating? Tell us in the comment section.

Photo: Damian Dovarganes, AP

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"Rock Lobster," The B-52s

"Rock Lobster," The B-52s

Photo: Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

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"The Song That Never Ends," Shari Lewis and her puppet, Lamb Chop

"The Song That Never Ends," Shari Lewis and her puppet, Lamb Chop

Photo: Time & Life Pictures, Time Life Pictures/Getty Images

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"Umbrella," Rihanna

"Umbrella," Rihanna

Photo: John Shearer, WireImage

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"Friday," Rebecca Black

"Friday," Rebecca Black

Photo: Mark Sullivan, WireImage

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"(What if God was) One of Us," Joan Osborne

"(What if God was) One of Us," Joan Osborne

Photo: Paul Natkin, WireImage

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"Feliz Navidad," Jose Feliciano

"Feliz Navidad," Jose Feliciano

Photo: NBC, NBC Via Getty Images

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"Angel," Sarah McLachlan

"Angel," Sarah McLachlan

Photo: Cindy Ord, Getty Images

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"Never Gonna Give You Up," Rick Astley

"Never Gonna Give You Up," Rick Astley

Photo: Scott Campbell, Redferns Via Getty Images

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"The Fox," Ylvis

"The Fox," Ylvis

Photo: Ethan Miller

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"Drunk in Love," Beyonce

"Drunk in Love," Beyonce

Photo: CBS Photo Archive, CBS Via Getty Images

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"My Humps," The Black Eyed Peas

"My Humps," The Black Eyed Peas

Photo: Evan Agostini, Getty Images

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"Macarena," Los Del Rio

"Macarena," Los Del Rio

Photo: Evan Agostini, Getty Images

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"Baby," Justin Bieber

"Baby," Justin Bieber

Photo: Rick Rowell, Disney Channel Via Getty Images

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"The Thong Song," Sisqo

"The Thong Song," Sisqo

Photo: LAURA RAUCH, AP

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"MMMBop," Hanson

"MMMBop," Hanson

Photo: RICHARD DREW, AP

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"Fireflies," Owl City

"Fireflies," Owl City

Photo: Craig Lassig, AP

CIA 'torture' methods included these 21 songs, artists

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If hearing Barney the dinosaur sing "I Love You" one more time seems like torture, try it on a loop for the next 24 hours.

According to a new piece on the Huffington Post by Andy Worthington, author of "The Guantanamo files," the children's show song that became the musical earworm of the '90s was one of many songs used by the CIA to enhance interrogation techniques in the War on Terror.

Songs used by the CIA varied wildly from children's songs and popular commercial jingles all the way to American hip-hop and death metal.

The variety often was intentional, intended to jar the senses, Worthington said. Prisoners would spend hours listening to a song like "Take Your Best Shot" by the metal band Dope on a constant loop, only to hear it get replaced unceremoniously by the Meow Mix cat food jingle.

In the moment, the juxtaposition of songs was funny. But eventually, it could grow maddening, Worthington writes.

American music – whether from commercials or actual songs – helped drown out the prisoners' inner thoughts, Worthington said, without providing them a familiar song from their own culture for which to escape into. Genres like heavy metal were particularly effective, because many Muslims had never heard anything like it before.

Interrogators often resorted to musical themes. The "bad Muslim," for example, often played on devout Muslim men's inclination toward sexual purity and/or celibacy by pairing sexually-explicit songs with interrogation by female interviewers.

In another variation of "bad Muslim," interrogators played Arabic music on the first day of Ramadan, which the subject believed was against Islamic law.

Another major aspect of "music torture," Worthington writes, was the seemingly random nature of when music would come on or turn off in order to affect sleep patterns.

"What we're talking about here is people in a darkened room, physically inhibited by handcuffs, bags over their heads and music blaring at them. That is torture. That is nothing but torture. It doesn't matter what the music is - it could be Tchaikovsky's finest or it could be Barney the Dinosaur. It really doesn't matter, it's going to drive you completely nuts."

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